How’s everyone’s new year going so far? Things are already looking up for me. New opportunities are presenting themselves and it’s looking like 2017 will be a good one. Hope to share some of that with you all at some point. But how are you?

This chapter is coming to a close fairly soon. +10 points if you recognize the “Death” figure in the suit who’s been hanging out the past few strips. I believe there’s some confusion about his identity. I can assure you he is NOT Death, M.D.

Discussion (11) ¬

Death, Esq. then, I guess. Does he only take the questionable ones? Wonder what Avalon’s Money Man has been up to if his afterlife status is in limbo… or perhaps it’s just a matter of interdimensional assignment.

THIS particular reference was from Heinlein’s “Job: A Comedy of Justice”. Mr. Koschei is the “Chairman” of the multiverse, which borrowed heavily from Cabell’s Jurgen, but I wasn’t actually referring to that work.

From the Heinlein Society concordance: “The “deity” one level above Lucifer and Yahweh, who seldom took an interest in affairs below that level. At Lucifer’s intercession, he mediated the dispute over Yahweh’s treatment of Alex Hergensheimer, manifesting to Alex as the image of the veterinarian he knew during childhood. Lucifer had suggested that Alex address him, if at all, as ‘Mr. Chairman’.”

It’s been established for quite a while that there are two Abaddon Deaths (MD’s first published appearance was at fake Doctor Rocket’s funeral, and chronologically just before that in Soviet Sam’s SF:O – Esq. was featured in Hermann’s SF:O, though I’m not sure he’s turned up anywhere else.

It’s possible that one of the two is actually from Avalon. It’s also possible that they’re just the same Death with a change of clothing and credentials.

Oh my. I’m hoping the most for one final tete-a-tete with Money Man Avalon (like we had with Herman at the end of his story), but a big ol’ reveal like the idea that one of these Deaths is not from our (Abbadon) universe would be second neatest.

Maybe there’s multiple Deaths, for different pivotal roles? Death as a lawyer, Death as a doctor, perhaps even a Death as a soldier? I was tempted to suggest “General Demise”, but death seems far lower in rank than that. Since no matter how much we share our end with those we love, we still ultimately die alone, I would suggest “Private Death”.

Poetic, quark. Poetic. The way my mind works, tho’, I’d be just as pleased with that reveal as I would the idea of Death meeting his “twin” and the two of them talking shop over coffee. I’m a simple man.